Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely album., 20 Sep 2004
I bought this cd on the strength of hearing 'Ringing in my ear' on the radio. There are few purchases I have regretted less. This is a wonderful album full of hearfelt and moving songs beautifully recorded. At first listen it could be dismissed as a simple (not to say bad) folk album, but it's deeper than that. Layers of instuments underpin Adems croaky voice to create songs brimming with emotion without ever sounding trite or overblown.
I highly reccomend this album to everyone with an interest in music to be remembered rather than disposable pop. Actually I just reccomend it to everyone, no exclusions.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Debut Beauty from Another Fridge Member to Go Solo (4.5), 1 Aug 2004
Whether Fridge remains together or not I don't know, but by listening to Adem's "Homesongs," and having been so impressed with Four Tet's two wondrous CDs -the work of Kieran Hebden, first member of Fridge to record on his own- it is clear that their imaginative and diverse brand of post-Rock will continue to yield gems through its members.
Adem, the bassist of the aforementioned band, takes, in this album, a different path than Hebden has. Where Four Tet has stretched and morphed prior Electronica boundaries, bringing cinematic quality to melancholia and a expanded sonic palette, Adem moves closer to Folk, a hushed and intimate vision of what he sees and expects.
Now, to call Folk "hushed and intimate" is hardly a insight, yet Adem's brand of it manages to accomplish something personal and extremely worthwhile. Simplicity is key here, yet simplicity that cannot be confused with timidity nor the absence of emotional depth. Also, there are enough -yet subtle and spare- hints of Electronica to make this album fairly original.
There are no duds here, yet certain songs are remarkable enough to be singled out. "Ringing in My Ear, "Gone Away," "Cut, and "These Are Your Friends" are astounding examples of why "Homesongs" may end up mentioned as one of the best things that comes out this year.
"These Are Your Friends," particularly, shows that this guy may be no fluke. Listen to how the song, unpretentiously develops into a chant -as the chorus grows in passion repeating "everybody needs some help sometime- and seamlessly returns to its soft-sung beginning. It may even remind you of some early Beta Band tunes.
For the sake of situating him someplace along people you may already know, I would compare him to another two young, great new artists, Gravenhurst and Jim Moray. Both of these people share a common interest with Adem by distinguishing their folk leanings with tasteful Electronica, and for creating a mood that I can best describe as "dramatic gentleness."
This is a tender and "wise-beyond-his-years" work. You'll be moved by it.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great new talent to watch out for!, 11 Mar 2004
By A Customer
This is the first solo album by Adem, who is one third of critically aclaimed band FRIDGE. The music is much more accesible than FRIDGE primarily due to the fact that Adem now sings, with a voice that at times has been compared with a number of different artists from Bono to Jeff Buckley. The music is stripped down acoustic based with a whole range of other instruments going on in the background.
It opens with Statued a slow acoustic number which sets the tone for the album. Ringing in my ear picks up the pace and then Gone Away and Cut slow it back down.
Theses are your friends is the obvious single choice and comes across as a fantastic rock epic which is impressive considering the acoustic approach.
Everything you need has a fantastically upbeat chorus and Long drive home has some more sumptuios vocals all over it.
Pillow is one of those tracks people will either love or hate. I love it Adem's vocals accompanied only by an autoharp create one of the most beautiful and brave tracks I have ever heard on a debut album. One in a million takes us back into familiar territory with as close to a rock track as you'll get from such an original artist. Finally we finish with There will always be which starts sounding as a homage to Bjork and finishes telling us "there will always be room at my table for you" Lets hope there is enough room for plenty more music of this calabre.
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